Apology
by christeeny
Summary: Tag to 1x13, Sweetie Pies & Sweaty Palms. Zoe'd allowed herself to hope for the best in Wade, but she was determined not to make that mistake again. Unless, that is, he can swallow his pride and make things right. One-shot.


Zoe Hart stood frozen after Wade slipped back out her front door and back to his place, an aggravating grin plastered on his face. She was overwhelmed emotionally, feeling waves of anger and embarrassment rolling over her. But there was also an overriding feeling of something akin to...heartbreak? As soon as the thought flitted through her mind, Zoe shook her head. No, that was impossible. After all, this was Wade Kinsella she was talking about.

Zoe finally found the will to move and walked over to sink down into her chair. No, she was convinced she wasn't broken-hearted over Wade's cruel words. Because she could never, ever, be interested in Wade. Wade was childish, a playboy, a self-centered jerk who slept with any bimbo who crossed his path. He was nothing that she'd ever want in a man. In fact, he was everything she should avoid: reckless, flippant, irritating. In short, he was just insufferable. Impossible. And he would never change, that she was convinced of now.

But then again, Zoe couldn't deny that there was something more to Wade Kinsella than his childish bad-boy persona. They'd had...moments since she first arrived in Bluebell. And she had seen a side of him that never seemed possible. Like a totally different person. The Wade Kinsella that sang his dad off the roof, who carried her to the practice after she was bit by a snake (even if he was at fault for her injury in the first place), who stayed the night with her when she was afraid of ghosts and even followed her into the woods to make sure she was safe. The Wade who saved his ex-wife from a horrible relationship and who managed to make Zoe smile after she walked in on her best friend with her vet. The Wade who she met under the Christmas tree in Town Square, when he'd called her amazing and asked her out for a drink. The Wade who sometimes was nice to her even when she treated him like crap. Just tiny, fleeting moments. But they made her feel so conflicted, because they made her second-guess everything she thought about him.

The worst part was, she could never be sure which side was the real Wade Kinsella. She'd found herself hoping, wishing beyond reason, that it was the Wade she sometimes caught a glimpse of. After tonight, though, she wasn't sure she could allow herself to continue hoping that anymore. Because she'd allowed herself to, and now she was left feeling heartbroken—yes, she'd finally admit that she was feeling that way. There was no point in denying it any longer, at least not to herself. At least if she admitted it to herself, she could start to try and get over him already, since she now knew that nothing could ever happen.

Zoe didn't realize how upset she truly was until she felt tears escaping her eyes and running down her face. Of course, as soon as she started to cry, a soft rap on the door startled her. Frantically, she reached up and swiped furiously at her cheeks and dabbed at her eyes. A glance in the hall mirror as she made her way to the door let her know that she still looked like crap, but not much could be done about that when she still felt like crap, too.

She grasped the doorknob and pulled the door open, expecting Lavon to be waiting to talk to her about something—probably he'd heard about her and Judson. Hell, it was probably already the hottest gossip around town.

"Lavon, now's really not a good time..." she began, looking up at the figure standing before her.

When she did, she had to brace her other hand against the door frame to keep from staggering backwards. Because instead of Lavon, she saw Wade standing on her porch. His face looked tortured and conflicted, and he wasn't meeting her gaze at first, instead choosing to look down at the ground.

"Wade?" she hissed. "What the hell are you doing here?"

He didn't answer at first, and Zoe let out an exasperated breath and started to close the door when he finally looked up at her.

"Wait, please. Can we...can we just talk, for a minute?"

Zoe sighed, sparing a glance at Rose's sleeping form on her couch. Reluctantly, she slipped outside and shut the door softly behind her before she moved to lean against one of the posts on her porch, hugging her arms around herself.

"What do you want now, Wade? Come to rub your winnings in a bit more?"

Wade pursed his lips. "No, I...I just came to...to say I'm sorry."

Zoe felt her eyes widen and her eyebrows lift slightly in surprise. "Really," she responded disbelievingly.

"Really," Wade insisted. "What I said to you earlier, it was...well, it was just mean." He paused, taking a deep breath and lacing his hands together behind his neck. "I didn't mean what I said, neither. I just said it out of spite, but it was wrong of me to try and bring you down. You didn't deserve it. You deserve better."

Zoe slowly nodded, still unsure if she could really trust him, and scared to allow herself to, but finding herself wanting to regardless. "Well, thanks, I guess."

They both fell silent, the croaking of frogs and buzzing of cicadas the only sound filling the air. After a minute, Zoe pushed herself off the post and started towards the door.

"I appreciate you coming to apologize, Wade," she told him as she reached for the doorknob, looking back over her shoulder at him. "But you should probably head back to your place before Joelle starts to wonder where you disappeared to. I saw how worked up she got over those roses, so I doubt you want to make her angry if you can help it," she added with a shrug and a half-smile. He'd apologized, so she was just trying to accept his olive branch. Back to being teasing sort-of friends.

But just as her hand grasped the doorknob, Wade's arm shot out in front of her, blocking her. She froze in pure shock, her feet rooted in place as her hand fell limply back to her side. He was standing so close that she had to crane her neck to look up at him. And what she saw made her breath catch in her throat, because his eyes were swimming with so many emotions, staring straight at her and looking at her in a way she had never seen him look before, except maybe that night at the pageant.

"Wade," she found herself whispering on an exhaled breath, her voice filled with question.

"You know what, I lied before. I did mean what I said to you—at least, part of it." Zoe stared at him in wonder, unable to even form words at this moment. Wade threw his head back and let out a low groan. "Dammit, Zoe, I don't...this is a hell of a lot harder than it seems." He didn't speak for a minute, but eventually he looked back at her. "I _do_ like you Zoe, and it _does_ kill me to see you with Judson. It kills me to think of you with _anyone_ else. Because from the moment you came into town, all I've wanted is you. And I know, I _know_ I have the crappiest way of showin' it. But I...I'm not used to this. I'm used to girls comin' and goin', no strings, no feelings. But with you...you're all I think about, and all I want is to be with you. I've never felt this way about anyone before, and it scares me to death, because I can't stand the thought that you don't feel the same. 'Cause I know I'm no "Golden Boy" George or a hot-shot vet and I know I'm not good enough for you, so I don't see why you'd ever want me. But I'm tired of holdin' it in and pretendin' I'd do feel what I do, and I just—"

Wade's rambling was cut off abruptly when Zoe pushed herself onto her tip-toes and pressed her lips softly but insistently against his. She let them linger there for a moment before pulling back slightly. Wade was staring at her in shock, his eyes darting back and forth across her face.

At first he was utterly still, and she knew he was still unsure. She'd changed her mind and turned him down before, after all: she couldn't really blame him for being wary. So she moved her hands up to hold his face and looked him straight in the eye.

"I want this," she assured him, eyes clear and certain. "I want _you_, Wade."

A heartbeat's pause. And then he had grabbed her in his arms, and his lips were on hers, and her head was spinning. This wasn't like the other times they'd kissed. She wasn't drunk, and he wasn't just trying to shut her up with his generic beer breath. And it wasn't like the night of the heat wave, either. Because Zoe didn't want this to be a free pass. She didn't want to forget about it come tomorrow. Reluctantly, Wade pulled away, though his arms remained tight around her.

"Goodnight, Zoe" Wade murmured into her hair.

"Hmm?" Zoe responded, her head still spinning. She pulled back to look at him, confusion swimming in her eyes. "Goodnight?"

Wade chuckled. "I got to deal with Joelle, break things off once and for all. And you thought she'd be mad if I slipped out for a minute. Good thing I got a doctor for my neighbor."

Zoe smiled softly back at him. "And a damn good one, at that." She paused, then swallowed. "You want to…come back over, after?" she suggested finally, shyly. She cursed herself for the blush she felt rising up her neck and flooding her cheeks at the thought.

A low sound escaped Wade's throat, sounding something between a growl and a moan. Zoe felt her heart flutter in anticipation, but then he opened his mouth. "Not tonight." Zoe's expression must have looked a bit hurt at his reaction, because he quickly clarified his response. "Not that I don't want to...and it's takin' all my self-control to say no to you right now, you have no idea, but I want to do this right. Startin' with that drink I asked you to over Christmas. I'm cashin' in that raincheck."

Zoe cocked her head, a slight smile playing at her lips. "If I didn't know better, Wade Kinsella, I'd think you're being a true gentleman," she teased.

Wade's mouth tugged up into a heart stopping half-grin. "You should know by now that I'm full of surprises, Doc." He leaned down to press his lips to her neck, and his next words were whispered against her skin. "But just to be clear, I'm not sure I can stay a true gentleman for long when you're makin' offers like that."

Zoe swore her legs turned to jelly at those words, but she refused to be so affected by him—or at least, she refused for him to know just how much he affected her. So she reluctantly stepped out of his arms. Wade looked at her questioningly and she raised her eyebrows.

"Guess I might have to refrain from such offers in the future for a while, then."

She turned the doorknob and stepped inside, but was stopped when Wade gently grabbed her arm and spun her around to plant a mind-boggling kiss on her again. When they pulled apart, Wade brushed his lips across her forehead, and she could see in his eyes that he was starting to lose more and more of his self-control with every moment that passed. So she placed a hand on his chest and lightly pushed him back. She wanted to do this right, too.

"Goodnight, Wade," she managed to breathe.

"Night, Zoe," he responded, sounding equally breathless.

She watched him make his way down her porch and head back over to his place. Was she really doing this? Her and Wade, giving this a shot? She hadn't thought it could be possible, not even really when she cornered him about his feelings for her earlier that night. But after what had just happened between them, it seemed almost inevitable, and she wondered how she could have been so blind before.

Wade's words to her at the fuse box back when she had first come to town came to mind and Zoe bit down a smile. He'd been right: they had sparks.


End file.
